Chapter Nine #2
“It’s well known that we’re friends.”
“It wasn’t well known by me!”
Nick’s thunderous tone made her quake.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. President.”
“I just have to know what you thought was going to happen when you welcomed this foreigner, under an assumed name and a fake passport, into your government-provided home that’s under the control of the Secret Service?”
“I was seeing a longtime friend. I wasn’t engaged in any sort of diplomacy with him.”
“You’re required to report any contact with foreigners, and you were told that when you received your security clearance.”
“I’m sorry that I failed to do that, but there was no official business conducted.”
“So he didn’t discuss his plan to overthrow the Petrov regime, which is what we understand to be his ultimate goal?”
“He said he was working with a group inside Russia to bring about reforms. It’s well established that he and other groups are hoping for regime change.”
“What do you think his objective was in meeting with the vice president of the United States?”
“He… He said he needed all the friends he could get, that he feared for his life and that of his family back home in Russia.”
“And you never thought to question the full extent of what he was up to?”
“I listened, and I provided friendship the way I have for the more than twenty years I’ve known him.”
“When you were vetted for vice president, you never mentioned your close friendship with a Russian national. Why is that?”
“I hadn’t been in contact with him for quite some time at that point. I didn’t think it was relevant.”
“Why were you not in contact?”
“My ex-husband didn’t approve of my friendship with someone I’d dated in the past. He was threatened by our friendship, so I stepped back from it when I was trying to make the marriage work.”
“You were divorced by the time you were vetted, and the friendship still wasn’t mentioned.”
“We weren’t actively in touch then.”
“Ah, so you become the vice president, and suddenly your old pal Sergei is back on the scene. Ironic timing, no? Do you have any idea how spies work? He very well could’ve been cultivating you as an asset.”
“It wasn’t like that. He reached out to congratulate me, and we started chatting again like we used to.”
“What did you talk about?”
“His kids and mine. My divorce. The strain caused by his opposition work that forced him to end his marriage to keep his wife and children safe. He worried about his ex-wife and children being kidnapped, or worse. We talked about the difficulties faced by the Russian people under Petrov’s regime.”
“And these conversations were held on a secure device?”
She glanced down at the floor, which answered the question before she shook her head. “They were on my personal phone. I realize now that was unwise.”
“Unwise,” Nick said with a harsh laugh. “That’s a good word for it.”
“I’m sorry to have disappointed you, sir. I’ve drafted the resignation letter you requested.”
Nick turned away from her, unable to spend another second in her presence. “Go back to your office and wait to hear next steps.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the door closed behind her, Terry said, “Fuck.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
“How many foreign intelligence services already know she’s been talking to a Russian national?”
Weary down to his bones, Nick sat behind the Resolute Desk. “All of them. Talk about having egg on my face. There’s no way we’ll be able to contain this.”
“No, we won’t, which is why we have to come clean on the whole thing and put all the blame where it belongs—squarely on her and on everyone who missed this, from vetting to intelligence.”
“They’ll say I have no business being president if I don’t know what my own vice president is up to.”
“They’ll say all the things. You’ll tell the truth, and we’ll move forward.”
“That is, if I don’t get impeached.”
“You won’t, because our party controls both houses in Congress, but you’ll make sure to note the situation has been referred to the AG for a full investigation.”
“I’d vote to impeach me for these circumstances, Terry. We need to expect a massive uproar over this.”
“We’ll keep the focus squarely on Gretchen, who’s fully responsible for this entire situation. I’ll be surprised if she isn’t charged with something. Justice might want to make an example of her to ensure others think twice about associating with Russians.”
Having his vice president potentially charged with a crime hadn’t been on his bingo card for the day.
“Make the call to her.” The acting Attorney General had yet to be confirmed by the Senate after replacing disgraced former AG Reginald Cox.
“Do you want to be the one to tell her what’s going on?”
“I guess I should be.”
“Stand by. I’ll send the call to you when I get her on the line.”
“Thank you.”
“I know this is a horrible situation, but take it one step at a time and do what needs to be done,” Terry said. “This, too, shall pass.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
“I usually am, Mr. President.”
The comment forced a smile from Nick, who appreciated the much-needed moment of levity.
He was once again staring out at the Rose Garden when the desk extension buzzed with a call. “Attorney General Conrad for you, sir.”
“Thank you.” He picked up the extension, telling himself he was doing the right thing by sending the case to Justice, but it sucked to know that someone he’d worked closely with and had begun to trust could be charged with a crime.
“General Conrad, I’m calling with some upsetting news that needs to be addressed by your team.”
“What can I help with, sir?”
“It’s come to my attention that soon-to-be former Vice President Henderson has been entertaining the Russian opposition leader at the Naval Observatory.
He was traveling on a fake name with a Slovakian passport that wasn’t flagged by our systems. The relationship dates back to her time at Oxford and wasn’t disclosed or uncovered during the vetting cycle.
She failed to report any of this, as required. ”
The dead silence from the AG said it all.
“I expect to announce her resignation later this afternoon.”
“We’ll take it from here, sir.”
“Thank you.”
He put down the extension with a heavy feeling of dread seeping into his very soul.
Gretchen was the mother of teenagers, and he hated to think of what this would do to them, but his obligation was to the country and the Constitution.
Turning her over to Justice was the right thing to do, as much as it pained him.
Terry came back into the Oval Office. “How’d that go?”
“It was brief. I laid out the situation, and she said they’d take it from there.”
“You did the right thing.”
“Keep telling me that.”
Terry placed a sheet of paper on Nick’s desk. “Gretchen’s resignation letter.”
Nick picked it up and gave it a quick read.
Mr. President,
It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your vice president. However, due to family concerns and other pressing challenges, I will be stepping down effective immediately. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the American people in this role.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Henderson
Vice President of the United States
“Get her moved out of the Naval Observatory right away,” Nick said.
“It’ll be treated as a potential crime scene,” Terry reminded him.
“Right.” He expelled a deep breath. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Neither can I. We can’t seem to catch a break around here.”
“Not for one second, but I’ll be damned if I’ll take the blame for this one. Let’s get Trevor and Christina in here and bang out a statement I can make to get ahead of this thing.”
“We’re on it, Mr. President.”